


the road to you, toll-free

by kalachuchi



Category: NCT (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Driving, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 10:03:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19148815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalachuchi/pseuds/kalachuchi
Summary: Years down the line, Renjun drives Junhui home.





	the road to you, toll-free

**Author's Note:**

> happy jun day!
> 
> timeline-wise, springtime ambiguously some years into the future. just a (big) jun getting a lift from a (small) jun :}

Unexpectedly enough, Junhui doesn’t look surprised to see Renjun waiting for him at the Arrivals lounge.

Pleased, Junhui pockets his phone still open on a call log as he says, “I knew I would find you! I didn’t think of worrying at all.”

No longer fazed by Junhui’s habit of opening conversations by resuming old ones, Renjun hums and sticks his hand out. Junhui, perpetually delighted at the reality of other people offering to do nice things for him, allows his carry-on luggage to change holders. 

“What made you think I would be here,” Renjun eventually asks. Then, because it must be said, “Does your _manager_ think I’m going to be here?”

“You should ask people before you walk them out to parking lots, usually…”

“ _Junhui_. Gēgē. Junhui-gē.”

Junhui laughs, and digs his hands into coat pockets, pulling them out to reveal only Junhui’s phone, Junhui’s hands. “Well. I only brought enough money to buy snacks for two people, for one thing.”

Renjun pauses. Junhui pauses too, both of them turning to eye the car in front of them, neither Renjun’s or Junhui’s or either of their agencies’. Though Junhui appears awfully focused on the car’s windows, suggesting a focus on his own post-flight reflection, while Renjun thinks with worry Junhui probably doesn’t feel about the taxi fare sign they passed a few minutes ago, _Please have toll fees ready alongside your fare at the taxi bay._

Alarmed, Renjun says, “What if you hadn’t found me.”

“I’d think about it if it happened,” Junhui considers, “But it _didn’t–_ don’t pout, you’ll get frown lines early–though I imagine I would need to make some phone calls.”

Renjun shoves at him, Junhui whooping as he clutches at the collar of Renjun’s jacket, both of them teetering rapidly to the side before Junhui plants his feet firmly on the ground again.

“I’m kidding, I have my card, it’s fine,” Junhui wheezes.

So maybe neither of them are really paying attention to a stranger’s car.

“I am driving you straight home,” Renjun warns.

Slumping against Renjun, Junhui wails, “Without any dinner? Xiao Jun, you need to plan dates with care, this test run makes gē sad for you!”

 

 

**_From_ : Big Jun**

_my member’s birthday next tuesday!!!!!!!! how is my xiao jun!!!!!!!!_

**✓** **_Seen 4.53_ **

 

**_To:_ Big Jun**

_How long are you back for? Is Minghao coming with you_

**✓** **_Sent_ **

 

**_To:_ Big Jun**

_You’re not flying alone right._

**✓** **_Sent_ **

 

**_To:_ Big Jun**

.. _Are you taking the afternoon flight_

**✓** **_Sent_ **

 

  
****

Twenty minutes into the drive, Junhui says, “Wow. The road feels really long when I don’t sleep through it.”

Renjun laughs. 

“I haven’t been to the airport in a while, either.”

“Right, right?” Junhui is difficult to stop once he gets going. Mostly since Renjun never tries to stop him when he does, or ever. “I was looking at flights like, _Wah_! So nostalgic. Travelling like this again, you know, back and back. Back and forth! You’re so grown up today, _Injunnie.”_

“You say that every time. I haven’t grown since you saw me last.” 

Junhui waves away the objection. “I’ll stop saying it when it stops being true. But I just miss you when I don’t see you.”

“…Oh.” Then, before the pause stretches, comma to full stop: “Do fans tell you that? It doesn’t make me cringe, somehow.” 

“Sure? It’s okay to say you like things, too.”

Affection springs from Junhui easily; tenderness, for Renjun, something to desensitise himself towards before it can thaw, melt into something more than just a word. _That’s fine, a green thumb's something you can learn,_ Mark’s voice, an easy reassurance in his memories, _just give things time, you know?_

 

 

“Happy birthday to them, by the way. I can’t remember if you mentioned who.”

Junhui definitely didn’t mention it, but Renjun wouldn’t know whose birthday Junhui referred to even if he did. Junhui calls them all his members, still. 

“Jeong, Jeong, Jeonghannie-hyung!” Junhui sing-songs. “He says he has no plans, so I’ll visit and we can eat together.”

Renjun asks, less from surprise and more to confirm, “You flew all this way for a surprise dinner?” 

“Just two hours one way,” Junhui agrees. “Easy peasy.”

It can’t be as easy as Junhui paints it out to be. Renjun would know, privy to the story updates Junhui adds to his WeChat and not his Weibo. But Junhui has always been something of a clumsy artist, vision throwaway in the face of a fun ride. 

Something must give way on Renjun’s face, because Junhui adds, just as cheerily: “He even told me not to do anything reckless, you know.”

“You’re here anyway,” Renjun reminds him. But he’s smiling again, just a little. “It’s nice seeing you,” He adds.

Junhui shrugs. “Hyung says things so people won’t feel forced into things.” 

Renjun can understand that. Understands too that, even if it wasn’t the case, not even an ocean could stop Junhui when he sets his mind on something. Anyone loved by Wen Junhui would have mountains moved for them from Junhui’s efforts to stay holding on to them.

Junhui wiggles his shoulders, stretching out against the passenger’s seat. Like he could see through Renjun, preen under his care like a cat under the sun.

“Besides, surprises don’t work if I tell people. And if I tell people, they’ll think I’m asking them to meet me, it’s no fun springing on others like that…”

Renjun keeps watching the road. “You’re important to the people important to you, gē.”

“You’re important to me, too,” Junhui grins, the expression replacing something Renjun didn’t realise he’d noticed until it was gone. “I’m always happy hearing you do really well.”

The platitude feels too sincere to slip between the gaps of their conversation, the sort of sentiment settling awkward and weighty on Renjun’s tongue when he tries to return it.

“…I’m glad you’re working hard,” Renjun says, slowly, wholeheartedly. “Hard work should never betray people who stay faithful to their effort.”

Junhui’s eyes are bright beneath a passing streetlight. Renjun has never been a very eager driver, but he’s somehow relieved for the road’s urgency begging him to look away from that light, grip tight on the wheel and the glimpse of Junhui kept safe in his mind, tucked neatly into a chamber of the heart.

 

 

He pulls Junhui back into the car before Junhui can shut the door, two blocks from a series of apartment complexes, one high-rise melding into the other, an endless shadow against the dipping sun.

“I’ll drive you back to the airport when you go. Please call me this time.”

Junhui squeezes, breath warm against Renjun’s ear.

“I take it back. This would make a good date, dinner or not.”

“…Junhui.”

Before Junhui can let go Renjun leans into him, certain in his belief of right here, right now, secure in the knowledge that even when the feeling fades the care won’t, a flower returning to bloom in two weeks, two months, maybe even two years down the line, Junhui calling as if to say _I didn’t forget_ and Renjun meeting halfway so as to show _I know, I hear you, I’ll always be a call away._

“Don’t be sad,” Junhui says, moving back out of the car again.

Renjun smiles. “Do I seem sad to you?”

Junhui pauses at the door, his answering grin a keen-edged gleam in the dark.

“Sneaky. How crafty you’ve gotten, already learned all my tricks…”

Any measure of familiarity with Junhui assures this couldn’t be true, but Renjun lets the words wash over him, almost content.

“Even big dogs can learn new tricks. Maybe I’ll be teaching you next time.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” Junhui promises. 

Renjun hears the beginning of Junhui’s laugh just as the door closes, lets the notes echo light and happy after even Junhui’s silhouette disappears beyond an opening door.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thoughts & comments always appreciated, i'm aware this is something of an uncommon pair up *op literally just invented the renjunhui tag upon upload*
> 
> that said, thanks for reading!


End file.
